Lifting jack



6. LANE LIFTING JACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 19. -192s I I J41? 50 19 Jnuenior:

George Lane, I J m W W M Patented Feb. 5, 1924.

TATE$ PATENT QFj l-QB ston s use or aev sK Erei-e ew eas e s ee T LANE! 1 3 mm ra qeei eer le 103 A JOINT STOCK AS MJ ON F W L r'rme anon.

Application lilarch 19, 1923. Serial lfl'o. 626,295.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that lf'Gi lonen LANE, a citizen of the United Stat s, andresident' of Poughkeepsie, the county of D'utchess and State of New York, have invented certain new and" useful improvemeneun Lifting tionl My present invention relates to improvements in lifting jacks' of the' Jacks: 9 t is} the fol n 2' ass mstep traveling har re-vei'singi The inventi n" aims "to provide a jack which befposfit'ioiied and removed and its ame reversed' hy 'th use of'ja relatively long handle, which" jack will bestrong and durable aria yer-tic capable f being-more economically {produced than 1' a'cks of" this type ofwh'ich-I aina'ware."

The invention allsoaiinsto providea jack which will he" fecoiioinieal to iiaiiiifacture, theoperating ar'ts'or which will" not be liable to "get but of order, and one in which the pawls'will"he spring operated both directions, giving a flexibility that "insures full seatingand at the sametime' possessing springs of'such sizeandshape that the adjustment thereof will 'be a delicate mat} M a c 'The invention further aims to provide a j ack'havinga stand'a'rjl which may be constructed ofpre'ssedfsheet inetalfthereby redncing the cost '61: inahi1faot1ire,"hut which will be so firmly braced that it'will be extremely strong and duralole."

The invention "fiirtheraims to provide such a standard with arelati v'ely broad base giving ampleground support; but which will be so" strongly constructed as to withstand "all ofthe strainsencou'ntered in the rolling orrocking "or 'a' car or: the jack.

With theseand other objects: in view, as will hereafter appear, theinvention includes the novel features o'f construction andarrangemeint and combination of parts herein after described, the nature and scope of my invention being "defined the lainis' alidehertdj: lhri eniliodiinent of m invention is illustrated ae cempanyieg' drawings," in

1 is aside elevation of the. comp oi k w F 1g: v5 is an enlarged detail elevation show-ling the reversing lever. I ig. 6 is a similar view of the base portion or lower end.

Fig. 7 isa transverse sectional view look- .ing down on the upper pawl and actuating clever- 4 H o Fig. 8 is a transverse section taken -just above the lower'pawl."

Fig. ,9' is a detail view of tension, and FigilOis a view of spring modification.

Referring by reference" characters to this drawing; the numeral 1 designates the base of the ack, 2 the standard. and 3 mannin bar,"which is provided at its upper-endwith a suitable lifting head indicated at 4. The standard is constructed of pressed sheet metal of channel shape or form, providing parallel walls 2 and 2 and an edge wall 2 against which the corresponding edge of the lifting bar bears in its rectilinear movement. The oppositeedge of the lifting' bar is guided 'inthe upper end'of thestandard by a filling block 5'which is disposed between the side walls of the standard and which serves to connect and brace said walls, the parts being connected b'yrive'ts, as indicated at 5?. For guiding the lowerend of the lifting bar I provide the sidewalls of the standard with outwardly pressed portions 2 which form internal grooves and external ribs arranged lengthwise of the standard, or parallel with the lifting bargand the lower end of the standard is' provided with outi nd 2 wardly s'waged portion or lug 3 which prointegral projecting"tongu'e'sQ iormed on the lower end of the standard. which tongues after being passedthrough the slots'; are

elin ohed' over, as shown, to firmly connect the'sta'ndard toe the base. Thebase isfpiovided withmarginal portions which are folded back to" for'm upwardly converging wings 1H theupper portions of whichare again bent" to bring them into. parallelism sides of the. standard a ainst which they abut, these abutting portions being provided with channel portions 1 to receive the ribs of the standard, the said abutting portions and standard walls being secured together by rivets 6, a filling piece, or spac-- ing means being provided to hold the walls of the standard properly spaced and pressed apart. Preferably, I use a pair of rivets and make the filling piece in the form of a piece of sheet metal 7 having its ends bent around the rivets, as indicated at 7*.

Articulated upon a pivot pin 8 is an actuating lever 9 which is adapted to detachably and movably receive a handle bar 10. Preferably the actuating lever is provided with a socket 9 into which the end of the actuating lever may be slid. The lifting pawl 11 is pivotally connected to the front end of the actuatin lever, conveniently by bifurcating the lower end of the pawl and making the forward end of the actuating lever of a thickness to fit within the bifurcation, and providing the overlapping parts with. aligning openings to receive a pivot pin 12. A. holding pawl 13 is fulcrumed on a pivot pin 14 supported by the walls of the standard. These pawls are spring pressed toward the lifting bar to cause them normally engage the ratchet teeth 3 thereof, and the spring means employed for this purpose preferably takes the form of a mouse trap spring 15 having its intermediate portion coiled around the piv ot pin 12 between the end of the actuating lever 9 and one of the walls of the pawl 11 formed by the bifurcation referred to, the ends of the spring extending in opposite directions and bearing respectively against the rear faces of the lifting and holding pawls 11 and 13.

In the normal action of the jack in lifting, it will be understood that the paWls remain in contact with the toothed face of the bar and ride respectively over the teeth under the relative movement, the spring yielding to permit each pawl to ride over the teeth. In other words, when the actuating lever has been depressed to raise the pawl 11, the holding pawl 13 simply rides over the successive teeth until when the bar comes to rest the tooth 13 remains in engagement with the corresponding tooth of the ratchet bar, and when the actuating lever is raised and the lifting pawl 11 is lowered, it likewise rides over the successive teeth. I I

Toeffect the reversing of the jack, I provide the pawls 11 and 13 with angularly extended arms 11'" and 13 which are preferably formed integral with the pawls and which also preferably extend substantially horizontally forward so as to overlie the side of the lifting bar. For this purpose the corresponding? side wall of the standard is pressed outwardly, as indicated at 2 Figs.

bar and the wall of said recess, and the member 16 is provided with two abutments designed to coact with the ends of the arms 11 and 13. The abutmcnts 16 and 16" may be formed by cutting recesses in from one edge of the plate or member 16. The

lower recess also provides a second abutment' 16 facing in a reverse direction to abutment 16 1 i I A A spring arm 17 is arranged to bear upwardly against abutment 16 and hold the reversing member 16 elevated so that its abutments will successively contact with the arms 11 and 13 to reverse the jack in the manner hereinafter described. Meansare provided for forcing the spring arm .1"?

downwardly so as to be out of the path of the arms 11 and 13 during the elevating operation of the jack. The spring arm 17 is of a strength exceeding the strength of the mouse trap spring 15.

Assuming for example, the ack to be elevated and that it is desired to lower it by a step by step movement, the reversing lever is, moved from the position shown in Fig. 52 to that shown in Fig. 8. In this latter figure,-the actuating .lever is showniin its upper position, the pawl 11 having been thrown outward away from the ratchet bar by reason of contact of its arm 11 with abutment 16 The load is supported at this time by the holding pawl 13. Downward movement of the actuating lever now raises pivot 12 of pawl 11 which allows pawl 11 to beswung towards the ratchet bar by spring 15, but owing to position of abutment 16 the pawl cannot move inwardlyto tooth engaging position until it has cleared the previously engaged tooth, whereupon it is caused to engage the next upwardly succeeding tooth by reason of its arm 11 being raised clear of abutment 16, at which time floating member 16 is prevented from being raised by its spring 1'? by reason of the engagement of pawl 13 with the corresponding tooth of the. ratchet bar under the weight of the load andconsequent holding 1 of the arm 13 in a'stationary position during this time. As the actuating lever nears the limit of its downward movement, the liftingpawl slightly raises the lifting bar which removes the weight of the load from the holding pawl and the latter 'isimmediately thrown out of tooth engaging position by the action of abutment 16 onarm 13 Raising of the actuating lever now lowers the lifting pawl and bar. As the lifting bar and pawl descend, arm 11"- of the pawl contacts with shoulder 16 and forces the floating member 16 downward against the tension of spring 17 which allows pawl 13 to be moved by mousetrap spring 15 towards the ratchet bar, the movementbeing timed so that the pawl clears the previously engaged tooth and engages the next upwardly succeeding tooth. Continued up and down or pumping movement of the actuating lever repeats the operation above described and results in a step by step downward movement of the lifting bar.

I Itwill he observed that the arms 11 and 13 extend substantially horizontally from the pivot portions of the pawls or perpendicular to the pivot axes thereof and thus with said pawls constitute bell crank, levers. As the floating bar 16 acts vertically the force of the abutments is applied as a direct thrust in a line which is tangent to the are described by the contact point'as each pawl swings on its pivot. I thereby secure a direct thrusting action as distinguished from a cam or wedge action.

A convenient manner of supporting and operating the spring arm 17 is shown in the drawing. This consists in forming the spring arm 17 as one arm of a mouse trap spring which is coiled around a supporting pin 18 carried the stardard, the other arm 17 of the spring bearing against a fixed abutment 19 and holding the spring under tension. A. rocking lever 20 is fulcrumed on the outer face of the standard, preferably on a continuation of the pivot pin 18, this rocking lever being in effect a reversing leverand being provided with a pin or projection 19 extendingthrough a slot 2 in the side of the standard and designed to contact with the upper side of spring arm 17. Thus if the reversing lever is swung towards the ratchet bar, the pro-.

jection 19 will be forced down against the spring arm 17 carrying the latter out of position to cooperate with the pawl arms (Fig. 2) while when the lever is moved away from the ratchet bar, projecttion 19 will be carried clear of the spring arm 17 (Fig. 3) which will then be free to function as above described, for the lowering operation.

i prefer to operate this locking lever by a movement of the handle extension 10 relative to the actuating lever 9, and in such a manner that the handle extension will be locked to the actuating lever so that the jack may be thereby placed in position beneath a car axle and removed therefrom without sa d. i rr idee w h a riv ed lin 21 having a notched portion 21 designed to engage a pin or projection 19 on the looking lever. A push on the handle extension through the link connection rocks the reversing lever towards the lifting bar, while a pull on the handle extension rocks the reversing lever in the opposite direction.

Means are provided for holding the reversing lever in either of its two extreme positions and for limiting its movement away from the lifting bar. To accomplish this I perferably provide the reversing lever with a substantially segmental portion or shoulder 19, having two notches 0 and 0 designed to engage a fixed abutment 8 which is conveniently formed by the head of the pivot pin 8 of the actuating lever. The lever 20 is extended sufficiently to provide a shoulder which contacts with the stop 8 to positively limit movement of the actuating lever away from the lifting bar, (Fig. 5) whereby the handle extension is positively connected with the actuating lever until the link is disengaged from its holding position. It is necessary to allow some relative movement between the reversing lever and the locking member or abutment 8 to allow the latter to ride out of the recesses 0, c, and this is preferably accomplished by providing a slight amount of lost motion between the re versing lever and its pivot. To this end the reversing lever is provided with an elongated pivot opening, as indicated at 19 A. spring 23 of the mouse trap type is coiled around the pivot 18 and has one end bearing against abutment 19, its other end bearing against the under side of abutment or pin 19 and thus tending to force abutment 19 upwardly and allowing it to yield downwardly sufficiently for the locking member 8 to ride out of the recess.

Ina jack of this character it is desirable to use a long handle for positioning and removing the jack and also for ease in raising the load, but it is also desirable that this handle shall be capable of being folded up to make it short enough to be carried in the ordinary tool box. I have provided a handle attachment or extension of this character which will be rigidly held in its extended position, will be locked in its folded position, and at the same time will be easily and quickly folded and unfolded'without the use of any loose parts. To this end my improved handle comprises a portion 10 which enters the socket of the actuating lever, and an extension portion 10 which is pivotally connectedto the outer end of the portion 10 by a transverse pivot bolt 25 passing throng aligning openings in the overlapping parts. The pivotpin is made longer than the combined thickness of the two handle members and the projecting portion of the pin is surrounded hv a coil spring 26. which tends to press the two members together. The pivot opening in the member 10 is set in some little distance from the inner end thereof and said member 10 is provided with two holes or recesses 10 and 10 which are designed to alternately engage with a locking projection 1O on the member 10, according to whether the handle is folded or unfolded, and thus locked in either of these positions. By holding section 10, for example, rigidly and applying pressure to the member 10 in the proper direction, the locking projection will be disengaged from its recess and the extension 1O may be swung around on its pivot to the proper position, the spring encircling the pivot bolt yielding sufficiently to permit such disengagement, but normally holding the parts in locked position.

If desired I may combine the springs 17 and 23 in one integral structure, as shown in Fig. 10, in which coil 17 serves to encircle the pin 18, looped extension 17' to bear aganist abutment'19, arm or spring end 17 to coact with the shoulder 16 of the floating member 16, and arm or spring end 23* to coact with abutment 19.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A lifting pack comprising a standard, a lifting bar slidably guided therein, lifting, and holding pawls cooperating with said lifting bar, spring means normally pressing said pawls into operative relation to saidlifting bar, angularly disposed contact arms rigidly connected with said pawls and extending at right angles to the pivotal axes of the pawls, a floating member having spaced abutments for contact with the lower sides of said arms, yielding means tending normally to force said floating member into position to contact with said arms, and means for positioning said floatingmember so that its abutments will be inactive with respect tosaid arms.

2. A lifting jack comprising a standard, a lifting bar slidably guided therein, lifting and holding pawls cooperating with said lifting bar, spring means normally pressing said pawls into operative relation to said lifting bar, angularly disposed contact arms rigidly connected with the pivot portions of said pawls and forming there with bell crank levers, a vertically slidable contact member having spaced abutments for cooperating with the pawl arms, a spring for forcing said contact member upwardly into position to contact with said arms, said spring exerting a force in excess of the spring means acting on the pawls, and means for lowering said slidable member out of contact position.

3. A lifting jack comprising a standard, a lifting bar slidably guided therein, lifting and holding pawls cooperating with said lifting bar, spring means normally pressing said pawls into operative relation to said lifting bar, angularly disposed contact arms rigidly connected with said pawls and extending substantially at right angles to the pivotal axes of the pawls, a vertically slidable contact member having spaced abut ments for actin vertically onv the pawl arms, a spring for forcing said contact member upwardly into position to contact with said arms, said spring exerting a force in excess of the spring means acting on the pawls, and means for deflecting said spring from normal position.

4. A lifting jack comprising a standard, a lifting bar slidably guided therein, lifting and holding pawls cooperating with said lifting bar, spring means normally pressing said pawls into operative relation to said lifting bar, angularly disposed contact arms rigidly connected with said pawls adjacent their pivots and overlying the side of the lifting bar, a floating member at the side of the lifting bar having spaced abutments for contact with the lower sides of said arms, yielding means tending normally to force said floating member into position to contact with said arms, and handle controlled means for positioning said floating member so that its abutments will be inactive with respect to said arms.

5. A lifting jack comprising a standard, a lifting bar slidably guided thereby, lifting and holding pawls cooperating with said lifting bar, spring means normally pressing said pawls into operative relation to said bar, said pawls having contact arms extending substantially perpendicularly to their pivotal axes and forming therewith bell cranks, a vertically slidable contact member having spaced abutments lying beneath said contact arms, a spring exerting upward pressure on said slidable member, and means for relieving said slidable mem her from the pressure of the spring.

6. A lifting jack comprising a standard, a lifting bar slidably guided thereby, lifting and holding pawls cooperating with said bar, spring means normally pressing said pawls into operative relation to said bar, said pawls having horizontally disposed arms overlying the side of the lifting bar, a vertically movable contact member at the side of the lifting bar having spaced abutments lying beneath said pawl arms, springs means for urging said contact member upwardly into a position to cooperate with said arms, and means for causing said contact member to be held in inoperative position.

7. A lifting jack comprising astandard, a lifting bar guided thereby, lifting and holding pawls cooperating with said bar, spring means normally pressing said pawls into operative relation to said bar, said pawls having horizontally disposed arms, a vertically movable contact member having abutments positionedbeneath said arms, a horizontally disposed spring arm normally pressing said contact member upwardly, and means for depressing said spring arm.

8. A lifting jack comprising a standard, a lifting bar guided thereby, lifting and holding pawls cooperating with said bar, spring means normally pressing said pawls into operative relation to said bar, said pawls having horizontally disposed arms, a vertically movable contact member having abutments positioned beneath said arms, a horizontally disposed spring arm normally pressing said contact member upwardly, a lever fulcrumed on the side of the standard and having a projection overlying said spring arm, and means for rocking said lever.

9. A lifting jack comprising a standard, a lifting bar, an actuating lever pivoted to the standard, a lifting pawl articulated to said actuating lever, a holding pawl pivoted to the standard, said pawls having angularly extended arms, a vertically movable contact member having abutments underlying said arms, a horizontally disposed spring arm arranged to raise said contact member, a reversing lever fulcrumed to the side of the standard and having a projection overlying said spring arm, and a handle extension detachably fitting said actuating lever and a link detachably connecting. said handle extension with said reversing lever.

10. A lifting jack comprising a standard, a lifting bar, an actuating lever pivoted to the standard, a lifting pawl articulated to said actuating lever, a holding pawl pivoted to the standard, said pawls having angularly extended arms, a vertically movable contact member having abutments underlying said arms, a horizontally disposed spring arm arranged to raise said contact member, a reversing lever fulcrumed to the side of the standard and having a projection overlying said spring arm, and detent means for holding said reversing lever in either reversing or non-reversing position.

11. A lifting jack comprising a standard, a lifting bar, an actuating lever pivoted to the standard, a lifting pawl articulated to said actuating lever, a holding pawl pivoted to the standard, said pawls having angularly extended arms, a vertically movable contact member having abutments underlying said arms, a horizontally disposed spring arm arranged to raise said contact member, a reversing lever fulcrumed to the side of the standard, and having a projection overlying said spring arm, said reversing lever having a portion substantially in the form of a quadrant having its edge provided with a pair of spaced recesses, a locking member carried by the standard, said locking member being adapted to cooperate with said recessed edge of the quadrant, one of said parts being yieldingly mounted to permit disengagement of the locking member and notches, a handle extension detachably and movable contact member having abutments underlying said arms, a pivot pin carried by the standard, a spring coiled around said pin having one arm bearing against a fixed abutment on the standard and its other arm horizontally extended and underlying a part on said contact member, a reversing lever having an elongated pivot opening engaged by said pivot pin, said reversing lever having an elongated edge portion provided with a pair of spaced recesses, and having also an abutment overlying said horizontal spring arm, a handle extension movably carried by the actuating lever, and a link connecting said handle extension with said reversing lever. r

13. In a lifting jack, a pressed sheet metal standard having an outwardly pressed portion forming an internal groove for a part of its length only, and a lifting bar having an outwardly swaged portion at its lower end engaging said groove, the contacting of said lifting bar extension with the groove end forming a stop to limit the upward movement of the lifting bar.

14. In a lifting jack a standard of pressed sheet metal of channel shape having outwardly pressed portions in its'sides forming lengthwise disposed internal grooves and external ribs, a relatively broad base to the intermediate portion of which the lower end of the standard is secured, said base having upwardly and inwardly converging wing portions, the upper edges of which are bent into parallelism with the side walls of the standard and secured thereto.

15. In a lifting pack, a standard of pressed sheet metal of channel shape having outwardly pressed portions in its sides forming lengthwise disposed internal grooves and external ribs, a relatively broad base to the intermediate portion of which the lower end of the standard is secured, said base having upwardly and inwardly converging wing portions, the upper edges of which are bent into parallelism with the side walls of the standard and secured thereto, the parallel portions having outwardly pressed portions forming grooves to receive the ribs of the standard.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GEORGE LANE. 

